Home Away From Home: July 2010

Well, we've been home for a week and I'm still trying to process all that we experienced on our mission trip to Brazil. This was our second trip to Belo Horizonte, Brazil and we really love the people in this city. They are very loving, gracious and hospitable. We always leave part of our hearts with them. Last year Matt participated in evangelism and I led a VBS team. This year, I wanted to experience more of the culture and actually go into the homes with Matt so I signed up for evangelism. We served at IB da Serra Verde with Pastor Mauricio. He is such a caring and compassionate man of God and has a heart for the people in his community. I loved serving the Lord with my husband and seeing him do what he does best...sharing the Gospel.

Pastor Mauricio would have home visits set up for us each day and we would use the Evange Cube to share the Gospel with the lost or we would encourage those who knew the Lord and needed to be more committed to him. Brazilians really like Americans and are willing to listen to what we have to share....the Good News! One visit that stands out in my mind was not an arranged meeting, but an unexpected visit. At the request of a church member, we (3 Americans and 4 Brazilians) knocked on the door of her neighbor one afternoon. The mother of the home answered the door and was shocked to see so many unexpected visitors standing at her door but she graciously invited us into her home. Her two daughter in laws were there and one was visibly "angry" that we had come. They had somewhere to be in about 30 minutes but the mother wanted to hear what we had to share after the Pastor explained who we were and why we had come. Matt began to share the Cube and I began to pray because the tension I could feel from the "angry" daughter in law was strong. The mother listened intently while the daughter in laws seemed uninterested. After sharing, Matt asked about their eternity and the mother in law began to weep and say she had been waiting for this moment and was ready. The girls didn't respond until Matt began to pray and one of them repeated the prayer with the mother in law. After praying, the "angry" daughter in law said amen and a smile broke across her face and she hugged and thanked us for sharing. Her countenance was changed because of the Holy Spirits work in her life. I have to stop and ask myself, Can others see Jesus in me...in my life, in my countenance?

There is a language barrier when going to a foreign country but thankfully we had interpreters and were truly blessed when God gave us the BEST in Bianca and Florence.

Bianca is an English instructor at the school where the interpreters study. Florence is sixteen and one of Bianca's students. They are both precious and love the Lord. Bianca is coming to the USA to study at one our University's in the fall. We are hoping she can make a visit to the South to see us and meet Claire and Levi. Perhaps Florence will be able to do the same one day!

We thank the Lord for allowing us the opportunity to serve Him and share the Good News with the people of Brazil.

Here are a few highlights from our trip.....